


Port In A Storm

by Kiraly



Category: City of Hunger (Video Game), Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Kissing, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 16:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiraly/pseuds/Kiraly
Summary: For years they've been like two ships passing in the night. But passing ships meet eventually.





	Port In A Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elleth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elleth/gifts).

> Based on the song _The Ship In Port_ by Radical Face. 
> 
> _But I have always stayed in place_  
_Under the old illusion that it's safe_  
_You said the ship in port is the safer one_  
_But it's not the reason it was made_  
_So forgive me if I wander off_  
_And forgive me more if I just stay_

“Cargo Vessel 2NF1SK paging Station Hub. Request permission to approach and dock.”

Onni cross-referenced the ship’s credentials with the database and forwarded the request to the docking bay. Another string of commands told the planetary defense network to allow approach. “Welcome back, CV 2NF1SK,” he muttered into the comm. Recently station management had been urging the defense team to ‘put on a more welcoming face’ when greeting arrivals. Because nothing said ‘warm welcome’ like ‘barely habitable ice planet in the asscrack of nowhere’. He’d been hired for this because he was good at weapons systems, not for his personality.

Pleasantries observed, Onni turned his attention back to the buggy orbital satellite he was reprogramming. There were others covering for now, but he wanted to get it back into place as soon as possible. It never hurt to be too careful.

Just as he was making some progress, the door slid open with a hiss of air. “Hotakainen?” One of the new defense officers, whose name he could never remember. “You’re off shift.”

Onni swiveled around to look at him. “What? That can’t be right, I have two more hours.” Sometimes he could stretch it even longer, if his replacement was running late or didn’t mind watching the arrivals screen while he handled the defense net.

The officer shook his head. “No, you’re off. Something about accrued comp time? And you’re wanted in the med bay.”

The parts of Onni that ran on blood went cold. “Med bay? What happened?” Tuuri and Lalli were off-planet with their crew, not due back for months. Had the cargo ship brought news? Were they hurt? Their little salvage ship could easily fit inside the one that had just landed. If they’d been damaged...or something worse…

“Dunno,” the officer was saying. “Just that you’re wanted.”

Onni disconnected his wrist cables and pushed past him without waiting to hear more. “Med bay,” he growled, bending so the elevator could scan his retina. It chimed and obediently sent him down to Deck Three. He all but ran down the last two corridors. 

“Hotakainen, Onni. Programmer. Defense Unit.” He waved his ID badge in front of the scanner and also at the girl working the med bay desk. “Someone asked for me?” Maybe it had only been a minor wreck. Maybe it had been a bad one, and they needed permission to do another limb replacement. Maybe—

“Oh, yes! I’ll page him.” The girl pressed a button. “Now, if you’ll just have a seat and wait—”

Red tinged the edges of his vision. “Have a _ seat? _ If someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on _ right now—” _

“Onni!”

He froze mid-sentence. _ Oh, fuck me. _He stepped away from the desk—the girl had drawn back from him slightly, hovering her finger over another button—and turned to face the open med bay door. 

Onni was still seeing red: that hair always was the brightest thing on the planet, apart from the smile that accompanied it. It was just as wild as ever, a riot of curls that Onni knew from experience were unfairly soft. “Hey. Remember me?” Reynir said.

Like he could possibly forget. “You’re here,” he said. 

“Yep!” Reynir stepped forward and caught his arm. “And you’re coming with me. Thanks!” He waved goodbye to the desk attendant and dragged Onni into the med bay. 

“What is—are you—Tuuri and Lalli?” Onni asked. It was a good thing they’d moved away from their audience, because he couldn’t seem to form a full sentence. 

“They’re fine! Everyone else wanted to stay out for the rest of the run, but we met up with this cargo vessel that was heading back this way. So I hitched a ride.”

Onni blinked. Reynir had always sort of been on loan from the station’s medical staff to Sigrun’s crew, but he’d never left them partway through an off-world mission. “Why? And—where are you taking me?” He’d thought, when he allowed himself to think about it, that someday when Reynir came home they’d go to one of the less-seedy food stalls and get lunch or dinner or...whatever meal it was time for. Reynir marching him through the med bay had not been part of the plan.

_ “Someone _is very overdue for his quarterly checkup,” Reynir said, ushering Onni through a door and closing it behind them. “And as for your other question,” his voice went soft, “Do you really have to ask?”

Onni studied the scuffed metal floor, trying and failing to ignore the tenderness in Reynir’s words. “You shouldn’t worry about me. I don’t need a checkup, I’m fine.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Reynir said, nudging Onni’s knees so he was forced to sit on what proved to be an exam table. “You’ve clearly lost weight, so I bet you’re missing meals again. And I read your timesheets, they’re _ terrible. _When are you sleeping? Don’t tell me you’re spending all your time at your desk fretting.” He plugged some cables into Onni’s arms and cradled his jaw, hands gentle.

“I’m not _ fretting,” _Onni said. He had to meet Reynir’s eyes now, hating how much worry he’d put there. He could feel his heart pounding against Reynir’s fingers. “Just...busy.”

“Your pulse is elevated,” Reynir said, releasing him. “And unless it’s the shock of seeing me, I’m guessing it’s like that all the time.” He sighed, unplugged the cables, and stood back to read the results on his screen. “Oh dear.”

“Is it that bad?” Onni asked, leaning forward to see. 

“It’s just like I thought,” Reynir said, shaking his head. “Chronic overwork brought on by terminal stubbornness. There’s no cure, only a treatment plan.”

Onni scowled. “Reynir—”

“I have to decide on the best course of treatment,” Reynir said, ignoring his protest. He examined Onni with a critical eye, hiding his grin behind his hand. “To be _ really _effective I should probably have you strip. Just so I can do a thorough exam of your organic parts.”

“Reynir!”

“But seriously.” Reynir’s smile faded. He put his hands on Onni’s shoulders. “You need a break, and I’m making sure you get one. One week off duty.”

“A _ week?” _

“And a week of light duty after that,” Reynir continued. He cleared Onni’s readings from the screen and put his hand on the door.

Onni scowled. “You can’t do that!” Reynir was a junior medic. He couldn’t order enforced rest.

“Actually, I can!” Reynir held out a shiny new ID badge. “Look, I got promoted! I’m a senior medic now, so I’m totally licensed to boss grumpy cyborgs around.” He reached for Onni’s hand. “Now come on, doctor’s first order is some food that’s not out of a ration pack, and then bed. Whether you want to _ sleep _or not is up to—”

“Reynir, wait.” Onni took the offered hand, but resisted being pulled. “I have...something to say.” He’d been rehearsing it in his mind for months, thinking of all the ways he could say it and all the ways it could go wrong. He hadn’t expected to need the right words so soon. 

“What is it?” Reynir stepped closer. Onni took his other hand.

“You...like having adventures,” he said. Already he could feel his voice betraying him. “I like staying home. Where it’s safe.” Here, on a planet where no one came if they could avoid it. Where he could wrap himself up in routine and keep the harsh realities of the universe from coming too close. “But...you came back early. For...me?” He didn’t really need Reynir’s nod to confirm it. Reynir was always coming back to him. 

“I missed you,” Reynir said. “I even sort of missed this place, even though it’s, you know…”

“Terrible?”

“Yeah.” He squeezed Onni’s hands, a gentle pressure that even artificial nerves could feel. “It’s less terrible because you’re here.”

“And that’s what I wanted to talk about.” Onni couldn’t let himself get sidetracked. Best to just get it over with. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Reynir’s eyes went wide. “You...Onni…”

“No, listen. All the waiting, wondering where you are and what’s happened to you—it was bad enough when it was just Tuuri and Lalli, but now you too? No.” Onni had to force his hands to unclench; Reynir’s knuckles were turning white. “Enough is enough.”

“So you mean—you don’t want to see me anymore?”

“What?” Onni stared at him. “No, that’s not it! Why would you—no. I’m looking for shipboard positions. Software, security, defense systems—whatever they’ll let me do, with credentials from a place like this.” He took a deep breath. “And only on ships who also need trained medics. If you want to, I mean. I thought, if nothing else, we could see if Sigrun has room for another weapons tech—”

The rest of what he’d been about to say was cut off as Reynir lunged forward and kissed him. Onni stumbled and had to catch Reynir around the waist to keep from falling, clinging tight. When Reynir pulled back, Onni pushed forward, months of longing falling away. He wanted this. He’d spent so long wanting it, being too afraid to admit that he wanted it all the time. Too afraid to take the step that needed taking. 

“You know,” Reynir said, breathing hard when they finally broke the kiss, “That ship I came here on...I think they were looking for a new security administrator. Their old one left or something.”

“Hmm,” Onni said. He was too full of the feeling of Reynir’s lips against his to say anything more coherent.

“And they said they’d be happy to take me on permanently, if I ever wanted a job,” Reynir added. And, thoughtfully, “They dock here quite often, you know. Their captain has family here, she likes to take long leaves to visit.” He brushed a strand of hair from Onni’s forehead and smiled. “We could do both. A home base and a ship to explore the stars.”

“We...we could.” An overwhelming thought. Onni wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry or simply stare at Reynir, drinking in the fact of his presence. He settled for a hug, burying his face between Reynir’s neck and shoulder. “Oh, we _ could.” _

Reynir held him close, stroking soothing circles on his back. “We don’t have to decide right now. And actually, we shouldn’t. You still have to comply with your medic’s orders.”

“Mmm?” 

“Bed,” Reynir said decisively, “They assigned me quarters down the hall, come on.” He turned Onni toward the door, sliding an arm around him. 

“And...everything else?” Onni seemed to remember food being mentioned, and found he was actually getting hungry.

“Bed first.” Reynir’s voice was husky in his ear. “And then everything else, forever.”

Onni couldn’t argue with that. 


End file.
